Cavaliers Earn 1st NBA Playoff Series Win Without LeBron James Since 1993 vs. Magic

zach bacharContributor IMay 5, 2024

Lauren Leigh Bacho/NBAE via Getty Images

After defeating the Orlando Magic in Game 7 by the final of 106-94 on Sunday, the Cleveland Cavaliers advanced to the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs.

The Cavaliers, who have largely been defined by LeBron James throughout their history, secured the organization’s first playoff series victory without James on the roster since 1993.

Bleacher Report @BleacherReportCavs FIRST playoff W without LeBron since 1993 😳 pic.twitter.com/9uYWcwsNWg

Cleveland was led by Donovan Mitchell this time, with the five-time All-Star shooting guard pouring in 89 points and nine assists throughout the final two games of the series.

The Cavaliers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead over Orlando at home before dropping two consecutive road contests to tie the series. Both teams secured wins in Game 5 and Game 6, setting up a series-defining Game 7 in Cleveland.

The Magic started off strong on Sunday, jumping out to a 47-29 lead just over halfway through the second quarter. Cleveland was able to erase the deficit after halftime due to the heroics of Mitchell as well as Caris LeVert, who finished as the team’s second-leading scorer with 15 points off the bench.

NBA @NBA15 PTS off the bench for Caris LeVert to push the Cavs lead in the 4Q on ABC!#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel pic.twitter.com/msb8FoKa7j

By earning a win after trailing by 18 points, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s team completed the largest Game 7 comeback win by a team since the 1997-98 season.

The series victory was impressive for an organization that has struggled to remain successful without James. He helped the Cavaliers earn four straight trips to the NBA Finals from 2015 through 2018, including an iconic 2016 championship.

When James left the team to join the Miami Heat in 2010, Cleveland finished with the worst record in the Eastern Conference at 19-63. After he departed the organization once again to join the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018, the Cavaliers recorded another 19-63 season.

Now, the team is trending in the right direction with Mitchell and a young core that includes Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Isaac Okoro.

The Cavaliers will face a tougher task in the second round, as they’ll battle with a Boston Celtics team that finished the regular season with a 64-18 record before beating the Miami Heat in five games during the opening round of the postseason.